patrick.net

AE’s ad used a “white woman in these times of rampant racism,” and employed a half-clever play on words: “Sydney Sweeny has good jeans.” Get it? The complainant sure did, and repeatedly insisted that American Eagle was, therefore, “promoting eugenics.”

Just like Hitler. ...

In sum, Hannah branded American Eagle’s ad campaign as a gateway drug to white supremacy, Nazi nostalgia, and capitalist excess of every imaginable sort. And, like me, she identified the counter-cultural element. She fretted that Ms. Sweeney is profiting from “a crumbling and fractured American culture.” She thinks we are going backwards: “Sweeney embodies the near mythological girl-next-door beautiful but low-maintenance sexy femininity that dominated media in the 1990s and the early 2000s.” ...

Trump White House Says 'Moronic' Sydney Sweeney Criticism Shows Why He Won: Voters Are 'Tired of This Bullshit'
"Cancel culture run amok," President Donald Trump's communications manager Steven Cheung shares ...

American Eagle has not apologized or pulled the ad, which it almost certainly would have done twelve months ago. No solemn Instagram notes app confession, no forced collaboration with a DEI consultant. Instead, it’s riding the moment —with a 30% off sale on all jeans. ...

We’re now living in an upside-down world where saying you’re fit, attractive, and happy is “eugenic imagery,” but chemically sterilizing kids is “healthcare.” The cultural tide is shifting—not with a scream, but with a smile and a discount code. And the people lighting the outrage fires? They’re not defending the marginalized. They’re defending their monopoly on what you’re allowed to enjoy. ...

Finally, say what you like about Sweeney’s genes, but heaven help us, we have come a long way in three years. Calvin Klein, 2022:

Zero make up